Pope Innocent I (Latin: Innocentius I; d. 12 March 417) served as de Pope of de Cadowic Church from 401 to his deaf in 417. From de beginning of his papacy, he was seen as de generaw arbitrator of eccwesiasticaw disputes in bof de East and de West. He confirmed de prerogatives of de Archbishop of Thessawonica, and issued a decretaw on discipwinary matters referred to him by de Bishop of Rouen, uh-hah-hah-hah. He defended de exiwed John Chrysostom and consuwted wif de bishops of Africa concerning de Pewagian controversy, confirming de decisions of de African synods. The Cadowic priest-schowar Johann Peter Kirsch, 1500 years water, described Innocent as a very energetic and highwy gifted individuaw "...who fuwfiwwed admirabwy de duties of his office".[2]

Contents

According to his biographer in de Liber Pontificawis, Innocent was a native of Awbano Laziawe and de son of a man cawwed Innocentius,[2] but his contemporary Jerome referred to him as de son of de previous pope, Anastasius I, probabwy a uniqwe case of a son succeeding his fader in de papacy.[3] According to Urbano Cerri, Pope Innocent was a native of Awbania.[4]

Innocent I wost no opportunity in maintaining and extending de audority of de Roman apostowic See, which was seen as de uwtimate resort for de settwement of aww eccwesiasticaw disputes. His communications wif Victricius of Rouen, Exuperius of Touwouse, Awexander of Antioch and oders, as weww as his actions on de appeaw made to him by John Chrysostom against Theophiwus of Awexandria, show dat opportunities of dis kind were numerous and varied. He took a decided view on de Pewagian controversy, confirming de decisions of de synod of de province of proconsuwar Africa, hewd in Cardage in 416, confirming de condemnation which had been pronounced in 411 against Cæwestius, who shared de views of Pewagius.[2] He awso wrote in de same year in a simiwar sense to de faders of de Numidian synod of Miweve who had addressed him. Soon after dis, five African bishops, among dem St. Augustine, wrote a personaw wetter to Innocent regarding deir own position in de matter of Pewagianism. In addition he acted as metropowitan over de bishops of Itawia Suburbicaria.[2][5]

The historian Zosimus in his Historia Nova suggests dat during de sack of Rome in 410 by Awaric I, Innocent I was wiwwing to permit private pagan practices as a temporary measure. However, Zosimus awso suggests dat dis attempt by pagans to restore pubwic worship faiwed due to wack of pubwic interest, suggesting dat Rome had been successfuwwy Christianized in de wast century.[2]

It is accepted dat de canon of de Bibwe was cwosed c. 405 AD by Pope Innocent, when he sent a wist of de sacred books to a Gawwic bishop, Exsuperius of Touwouse,[7] identicaw wif dat of Trent (which took pwace more dan 1000 years water),[8][9][10] except for some uncertainty in de manuscript tradition about wheder de wetters ascribed to Pauw were 14 or onwy 13, in de watter case possibwy impwying omission of de Epistwe to de Hebrews.[7]